Staff present $300M bond project list: seawall, fire stations, parks and civic buildings prioritized

City staff on May 19 presented a refined portfolio of projects intended to be funded by the proposed $300 million general obligation bond, emphasizing public safety, accessibility and deliverability while using weighted scoring and community feedback to guide prioritization.

What staff proposed: Assistant to the City Manager Carrie and Deputy City Manager David White said the current working project portfolio totals approximately $272.5 million across three categories—community facilities/quality of life, public safety, and critical infrastructure/accessibility—with an additional implementation and staffing allowance of about $40.5 million that brings program capacity to roughly $313 million.

Project highlights and changes: Parks, Recreation & Waterfront Director Scott Farris walked council through roughly 20 PRW projects, including a proposed replacement or major renovation at the Francis Alvaro Community Center, the Harrison Park turf conversion to increase playable hours, restroom and waterfront improvements and a reduced scope on the King Pool proposal (scaled back from an earlier larger replacement estimate to a $5 million renovation focused on pool envelope, piping and pump systems). Farris said some projects were removed or deferred to fit within the $300 million cap and to preserve grant leverage opportunities.

Public safety and civic assets: The fire chief summarized the urgency of upgrading aging fire stations—many dating from the 1950s and 1960s—so facilities meet seismic and Essential Services Act standards, improve firefighter health (separating contaminated gear areas) and incorporate resilience features such as solar and battery backup. Interim Public Works Director Wahida Meri described investments including a $14.6 million 50/50 sidewalk program, $4.5 million in ADA barrier removal, elevator and systems work at civic buildings (1947 Center St., 2180 Milvia), and addition of the African American Holistic Resource Center to close a known funding commitment.

Costs, phasing and grant strategy: Staff described a 12–15 year spend horizon for many projects and emphasized use of grant leverage for several waterfront items; for example, perimeter pathway, sea-level‑rise Bay Trail and seawall improvements were characterized as partially grant‑eligible, with the bond funds serving as leverage. Staff noted some civic restoration items were scaled to provide just enough local match to pursue FEMA or other grant opportunities rather than fully fund full restorations within the bond package.

Community feedback and concerns: Numerous public commenters and councilmembers urged stronger allocations for Old City Hall and the Veterans Memorial Building—seismic work that would preserve active community uses including the Berkeley Historical Society and Berkeley Community Media—and wanted clarity on the probability of receiving the assumed grant matches. Sports and recreation groups pressed for the Harrison Park turf conversion and restroom upgrades to improve access and safety for youth and adult sports programs.

Implementation and oversight: Staff included approximately $40.5 million in the financial framework for program delivery, oversight, audits and compliance; Scott Farris said the implementation funding is intended for project management, compliance and reporting costs (not ongoing operations). Staff also noted an audit cadence similar to previous bond programs, commonly an external audit every two years.

Next steps: Council asked staff for more detailed cost breakdowns on large items (for example, the chief’s breakdown for the Station 4 estimate and specifics on King Pool and civic building match strategies). Staff will return on June 16 with proposed ballot language and additional documentation about project phasing, grant assumptions and implementation staffing.